Coinciding with World Radio Day on February 13, the Sound Archive of Radio in Catalonia at the Autonomous University of Barcelona has launched a new design and a new search engine. This project from the Autonomous University of Barcelona received an Honorary Mention at the 25th :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} for presenting an outstanding sound heritage of more than 12,000 recordings from Catalan and Spanish radio stations (now reaching 15,000) from the past 100 years, including spoken programs, advertisements, station idents, and musical jingles.

(PRESS RELEASE FROM THE ARCHIVE). The project updates its homepage with a redesigned interface and more dynamic content. Among the new features is the “Radio Stories” section, which allows users to explore content through short narratives linked to specific themes. In addition, several accessibility improvements have been introduced, both in navigation and in audio playback, including the ability to adjust playback speed according to each user’s needs.

In terms of search functionality, the most significant new feature is the introduction of a faceted search engine, allowing users to perform free-text searches and then refine results using filters such as broadcast year, time range, program, or station. This tool greatly improves navigation through the archive’s content, which currently includes nearly 15,000 recordings and 1,250 radio stations from across all Catalan regions.

The Sound Archive was launched in February 2022 as a result of collaboration between the Institute of Communication (InCom-UAB) and the Library of Communication and General Newspaper Archive of the Autonomous University of Barcelona. It is part of the digital project of the Observatory of Communication in Catalonia (OCC InCom-UAB). Since 2025, it has also collaborated with the Local Communication Network and the Federation of Local Media of Catalonia.